NCLEX-RN
NCLEX Psychosocial Questions
1. After a client has a spontaneous abortion at 12 weeks' gestation, the nurse notes that both she and her partner are visibly upset and crying. Which statement would be a therapeutic response?
- A. 'I'll be here if you want to talk.''
- B. 'Try to relax"?it'll speed up the healing process.''
- C. 'With any luck, you'll get pregnant again soon.''
- D. 'It's best that this happened early rather than having the baby die after it was born.''
Correct answer: A
Rationale: A therapeutic response in this situation is to offer support and empathy. Saying, 'I'll be here if you want to talk' gives the client and her partner the opportunity to express their emotions and seek comfort. It acknowledges their distress and assures them of the nurse's availability. Choice B, advising to relax to speed up the healing process, dismisses their current emotions and may hinder open communication. Choice C, suggesting getting pregnant again soon, minimizes their grief over the loss and may not be what the couple needs to hear at that moment. Choice D, stating it's best that the miscarriage happened early, is insensitive as it invalidates the couple's feelings of loss and grief. Grieving is a natural process, and the timing of the loss does not diminish its significance.
2. A 19-year-old client is paralyzed in a car accident. Which statement used by the client would indicate to the nurse that the client was using the mechanism of 'suppression'?
- A. "I don't remember anything about what happened to me."?
- B. "I'd rather not talk about it right now."?
- C. "It's the other entire guy's fault! He was going too fast."?
- D. "My mother is heartbroken about this."?
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is, '"I don't remember anything about what happened to me."?' Suppression involves willfully putting an unacceptable thought or feeling out of one's mind. In this case, the client is purposely choosing not to remember details of the traumatic event to avoid dealing with the associated emotions. Choice B, '"I'd rather not talk about it right now,"?' suggests avoidance or deflection rather than active suppression. Choice C, '"It's the other entire guy's fault! He was going too fast,"?' indicates blaming someone else for the situation, which is a form of defense mechanism known as externalization. Choice D, '"My mother is heartbroken about this,"?' expresses empathy towards the mother's emotions and does not demonstrate suppression of personal feelings.
3. Which intervention should the nurse use for a client who hallucinates, yells, and curses throughout the day?
- A. Ignore the client's behavior if the client is not harming anyone.
- B. Isolate the client until the behavior decreases or stops.
- C. Explain how the behavior affects other people on the unit.
- D. Seek to understand what the behavior means to the client.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: When a client experiences hallucinations, yells, and curses, it is essential to seek to understand the underlying meaning of their behavior. All behavior has significance, and understanding the client's perspective can guide appropriate interventions. Ignoring the behavior may exacerbate the situation and isolating the client could lead to increased anxiety and further acting out. Explaining the impact on others is not helpful in this scenario as the client is not intentionally hallucinating; yelling and cursing are responses to the hallucinations.
4. Which of the following is a symptom associated with sensory overload?
- A. Disorientation
- B. Drowsiness
- C. Emotional lability
- D. Depression
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Disorientation is a common symptom associated with sensory overload. When an individual experiences sensory overload, their brain may become overwhelmed with excessive information, leading to disorientation. This can manifest as an inability to concentrate, racing thoughts, and restless behavior. Sensory overload occurs when a person is unable to either control the amount of environmental stimuli they are exposed to or process the stimuli effectively. Drowsiness, emotional lability, and depression are not typical symptoms of sensory overload. Drowsiness may indicate fatigue or boredom, emotional lability refers to rapid and exaggerated changes in mood, and depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
5. The nurse-manager of a skilled nursing (chronic care) unit is instructing UAPs on ways to prevent complications of immobility. Which intervention should be included in this instruction?
- A. Perform range-of-motion exercises to prevent contractures.
- B. Decrease the client's fluid intake to prevent diarrhea.
- C. Massage the client's legs to reduce embolism occurrence.
- D. Turn the client from side to back every shift.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Performing range-of-motion exercises is beneficial in reducing contractures around joints, maintaining joint mobility, and preventing stiffness in immobile clients. This intervention helps preserve muscle strength and joint function. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because: Option B suggesting decreasing fluid intake to prevent diarrhea is not relevant to preventing complications of immobility and could lead to dehydration; Option C, massaging the client's legs to reduce embolism occurrence, is not a recommended practice as massage can dislodge blood clots and increase the risk of embolism; Option D, turning the client from side to back every shift, is not sufficient as it does not address the need for maintaining joint mobility and preventing contractures in immobile clients.
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